This invention relates in general to hand-held carrier devices. More specifically, it relates to a compact carrier for a pair of skis and ski poles that secures the skis in panels hinged to a handle.
Skis and ski poles are difficult to transport by hand because there are several separate items to be carried and each item is relatively cumbersome and awkward to handle. Various hand carriers for skis are known in the art. One solution is to provide rigid brackets on a frame of a boot carrier as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,272,413 and 3,248,027 to Pfeider. These carriers, however, do not fix the skis in the brackets, the carrier itself is cumbersome, and the skis must be removed from the carrier to mount them on a car ski rack. Further, there is no provision for securing the ski poles. U.S. Pat. No. 3,259,284 to Olson describes a less cumbersome carrier where ski boots are suspended from the ends of a flexible strap carried on a shoulder. The skis are carried by cradling them in a bracket secured in the strap over the shoulder. Pole straps are hooped around the bracket. Again, neither the skis nor the poles are secured and they must be disengaged from the carrier to mount them in a car rack.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,558,024 to Walsh and 3,260,430 to Sandenburgh disclose carriers that clamp the skis on a pair of parallel, spaced bars or hangers oriented transversely to the skis. In the Walsh device wing nuts tighten clamping plates that engage the edges of the skis against the bars. A cord linking the bars serves as a handle. In the Sandenburgh device, C-shaped hangers secure the skis in the lower corner and the poles in the upper corner with a flexible strap clamped to the hangers between the skis and the poles and terminated at both ends in release levers. The poles themselves serve as a carrying handle. While these devices are relatively compact and lightweight compared to the boot carriers, they also have drawbacks. The Walsh device, for example, does not carry the ski poles and accommodates for skis of varying width by gripping only one edge of one of the skis. The equipment is gripped more securely in the Sandenburgh carrier, and skis of varying dimensions are accommodated, but the assembled equipment is not readily mounted on a car rack. Also, positioning the pair of bars or hangers and securing the ski equipment to the bars is inconvenient.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,307,759 to Fulton and 3,718,242 to Larson describe more compact carriers for both skis and poles. The Fulton carrier is a combination carrier and locking device. The skis are held in rigid up-turned flanges. Movement of a handle clamps the skis and the ski poles. The Fulton carrier slings the skis in a pair of resilient straps that each extend from the lower edge of a panel to a clasp at the upper end of the panel. The panels pivot on separate, parallel pins mounted in a handle. The ski poles are also carried in the straps under the skis. Both of these carriers, however, are relatively costly to manufacture. Also, they do not adapt well to skis of varying cross-sectional dimensions.
It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a hand carrier for skis and ski poles that reliably and conveniently secures the ski and poles and accepts skis of varying cross-sectional dimensions without adjustment.
Another object is to provide a ski carrier that allows the skis and poles to be mounted on any standard car ski rack.
A further object of this invention is to provide a ski carrier that is compact, lightweight and durable.
Still another object is to provide a ski carrier with the foregoing advantages that has a comparatively low cost of manufacture.